leonard



(No Model.)

BUCKET AND TANK FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Patented June 6, 1893.

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. G LEONARD. BUCKET AND TANK FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

No. 498,937. Patented June 6, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR G. LEONARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKET-AND-TANK FIRE-EXTINGUI SHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,937, dated June 6,1893. Application filed December 21. 1892. Serial No. 455| (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Bucket-and-Tank Fire-Extinguisher, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices wherein a series ofbuckets or pails are used for the purpose of extinguishing fires, whichbuckets are usually set in a frame side by side, and are filled withwater, so asto be handy for immediate use when required.

The special objects of my invention are to facilitate the use of thebuckets filled with water; to condense the space usually occu' pied by anumber of them; to prevent interference with the buckets, so that theywill be only used for fire purposes; as well as to enable a largernumber of buckets to be used than heretofore, and held ready forimmediate use, without occupying near as much space.

To this end my invention comprises a tank or other suitable receptacle,(which may be suitably connected with a service pipe and overflow, sothat water or other fluid may be kept therein at a proper level) inwhich tank are placed a plurality of buckets inserted one within theother or nested together, the parts of the entire device being sorelated that when the uppermost pail is lifted out of the tank it willbe full of water, and the next bucket, which now becomes the top of these ries, will also be immediately filled with water or other fluid readyfor withdrawal. The buckets being nested together a number of them canbe made to occupy the same floor space except that occupied by the tankthat single buckets have occupied hitherto.

My present invention also comprises a particular construction, whereinthe greatest facility in opening the tank (which is preferably keptsealed or covered for the purpose of preventing evaporation) can be had,the specific improvements in that regard enabling the tank to beexpeditiously uncovered; the further improvements relating to the bucketand comprising means for raising the handles or bails of each pail asthe superposed one is removed, keeping the bail of the uppermost bucketelevated and in a position to be readily grasped; and devices fornesting the buckets together so as to enable them to In the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification-Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe containing tank and attached devices; Fig. 2, a sectional elevationof the same taken approximately on the line 00 00, Fig. 1, disclosingthe interior of the tank, and the contained and superposed or nestedbuckets;

Fig. 3, a plan view of one of the buckets en larged; and Fig. 4, asectional elevation of the same on the line y y, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an

enlarged perspectiveelevation of thetank covered, locking and freeingdevice.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings 1 is the tank constructed in any desirable way, eitherrectangular or cylindrical in shape, and of suitable proportions, towhich at the top thereof is hinged a cover 2 by the hinges 3 securedalike to the cover 2 and to the tank by bolts, rivets, or

otherwise.

I prefer that the Water or other liquid used for extinguishing the fireshould be preserved at a constant level, and to indicate this level Iuse a common form of float 5 which passes up through the cover 2, andwhich may have thereon figures, &c., to indicate the height of thewaterin the tank. The cover 2 has a bushing of angle iron l secured toits under side continuous with the sides of the tank and within the sameto strengthen the cover and prevent it from moving laterally. This,however, is not essential. A service pipe 6 may enter the tank at anydesired point; and an overflow 7 located at any suitable position mayalso be inserted, as well as a flushing pipe 8, these being preferablylocated as shown. A ball float may be employed, as usual, to shut offsupply of water when a proper level has been reached.

For keeping the cover locked down upon too the top of the tank, and alsofor the purpose of enabling the cover to be freed expeditiously, Iemploy the following means: Upon the cover 2 is secured the striker bar9, the forward portion of which, 10, is reduced in di-- ameter andextends over the edge of the cover and tank, and is bent into thesegment of a circle forming a tongue. To the side of the tank aresecured, in any suitable way, two bearing pieces 11 which either may bemade separate as shown or cast integral, from the bearing arms 12 ofwhich extends a pivot pin 13, which pin supports the freeinglatch whichcomprises the hub 14, (Fig. 5) handle 15, and yoke 16, all in one piece.7

As shown in side elevation in Fig. 2, the yoke 16 extends from thehandle 15 at right angles, so as to cause the tongue of the striker barto lie within it, the curve of the tongue being struck from the fulcrumof said latch, preferably, although these parts need not hear suchrelation of necessity. It will thus be seen that if the handle is moveddownward toward the side of the tank, the yoke 16 will clear the tongue10, leaving the cover free to be vibrated on its supporting hinge touncover the same. To do this I have weighted or overbalanced the coverat its hinged end,.s0 that it will be moved quickly up, uncovering thetank to permit the buckets to be withdrawn. To this end I have se; curedthe bar 17, having the arms 18 extending rearwardly and without the sideof the tank, by the straps 19 which arefast to the cover 2, and upon theends of the arms 18 I mount weights 20 adapted to be secured to saidarms at any point of their length by the set screws 21. It will thus beseen that the weights keep the tongue 10 of the striker bar and the yoke16 firmly united together, and that when these parts are freed, asbefore described, the weights 20 will vibrate the cover on itssupporting hinges, exposing the buckets in the tank.

The movement of the cover 2 can be limited, and the momentum of theweights and their supporting arms checked by stops 22 secured at anysuitable point on the side of the tank, so as to engage the arms 18,limiting the movement of the cover, and which will hold it open at thedesired angle. If desired, the steps 22 can be cushioned with rubber orthe like to absorb the impact of the arms thereon.

So far as devices for covering or uncovering the tank, and forcontrolling the movement of such cover are concerned, I do not limitmyself to the construction shown herein for accomplishing those ends,but prefer their use, as they carry out the object hereinbefore setforth. 7

The main part of my invention will now be described. Buckets 23 of theusual form are shown in Fig. 2 as being nested or superposed one withinand above the other, the bottom one resting on the bottom of the tank. Ihave shown but one series herein, but it is clear that the floor orsupporting spaceof the tank can be used for supportingan indefinitenumber of series, one series being sufficient to illustrate myinvention. It is desirable that the buckets be supported one within theother, so that the outside of one bucket will not lie flush against theinner surface of the bucket below it, but that the bucket should bedistanced apart, so as to leave a space between them, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2. For this purpose I employ the angular lugs 24 securedto the inside of the bucket a suitable distance above the bottom 25thereof, so that when one bucket is placed within the other the innerand outer diameters of the buckets will not be flush, thus preventingthem from binding together, and enabling the water or other fluid topass into each bucket partially filling it, and preventing the-entireseries of buckets beinglifted by the upper one through suction. Insteadof the individual lugs 24 a continuous ledge could be used which wouldanswer the same purpose, and other devices for keeping the bucketsseparated could be adopted.

One of the main requisites of a device of this character is that I whenemergency requires immediate action, all of the parts should be adaptedto act with accuracy and expedition. To this end I have weighted andbalanced the bails or handles of the buckets so that the bail of the topone will be presented upward in a position ready to be grasped to pullthe bucket from the tank. The bail 26, which is of the usual form,except'as modifled herein, is secured by the pins 27 pivotally to thestandard 28 which in turn is secured to the bucket at the top thereof,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bail being provided with an eye 29,through which the pin 27 passes. The bail is extended beyond the eye 29into an arm 30 which is bent outwardly at 31 to clear the side of thebucket, 'which arm carries a movable weight 32 adapted to be secured tosaid arm adjustably in relation to the fulcrum thereof by the set screw33.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the weights 32 keep the bail26 extended upwardly, and that the bails on the buckets lying below thetop one are vibrated downwardly, and are prevented from rising upwardlyby coming in contact with the superposed bucket, so that as'each bucketis withdrawn from the nests the weights move the bails of eachsucceeding bucket into position which the uppermost one occupies in thatfigure, successively presenting the bails in such a position that thebuckets can be expeditiously withdrawn. As each bucket is withdrawn itreduces the water level in the tank to an amount equal to the containingcapacity of the withdrawn bucket and the previously displaced area inthe bucket lying below it, and so on, ad infinitttm, so that if there isnot a constant supply of water, the quantity in the tank should be suchas to fill the lower bucket of the series after the superposed bucketshave been withdrawn.

As my invention broadly stated consists in a receiving tank, a series ofnested or super posed buckets, the tank having the containing capacitysuincient for filling each and ev: ery bucket when withdrawnsuccessively and means for automatically raising the bails of eachindividual bucket,I do not limitmyself to the details of constructionshown and described herein, but as the embodiments of the various partsof this invention all conduce to the expeditious use of its main featureI desire to have them included as a part of the present invention.

It is essential that the buckets be preserved in a submerged condition,and toaccomplish this I can either make the buckets of metal, or of woodand weight them, or holdthem submerged by some suitable catch ordetaining device. I have found, however, that by making the buckets ofmetal they keep their position in the tank without being weighted.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of acontaining tank with a series of nested buckets or pails, each pailhaving an inflexible bail for withdrawing it, and means, common to eachpail and entirely independent of the tank or its fittings, for causingthe hail of the uppermost bucket to assume a perpendicular position andstand above the bucket, substantially as described.

2. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a fluid containing tankand a series of tapering pails telescoped one within the other andadapted to be wholly submerged in the fluid in the tank, each individualpail having bails terminating in weighted ends, each pail being adaptedto be individually removed filled with the fluid and the bails thereofto assume a perpendicular position as the superposed pail is removed,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the nested buckets, with a pivoted bail for eachbucket the bail having a weight located beyond its fulcrum, the bailsbeing of a height less than the top of the next superposed bucket,whereby any one of the buckets will arrest the upward movement of thebail secured to the bucket tank, of a series of nested or telescopedbuckets within the tank each bucket having a bail, weights onthe bailswhereby each bail is automatically presented upward, a cover held downon the tank against the stress of a weight or spring, and means forholding the cover down and freeing it comprising afreeing latch and atongue, substantially as described.

A 5. The combination in a plurality of nested buckets, each buckethaving. a bail, weights on the bails whereby each bail is automaticallypresented upward, of means for sustaining the bottom of each bucketabove the bottom of the next lower 0ne,'such means being affix'ed to theunderlying bucket, and which is adapted to leave a free and clear spacebetween the bottoms of all the buckets and their sides, substantially asdescribed.

' 6. The combination with a containing tank, of a series of nested ortelescoped buckets, the 1ugs24 formaintaining a free and clear spacebetween the bottoms of the buckets while so nested, and the weightedbails or handles adapted to rise above the bucket as each one isremoved, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a containing tank, of a series of nested ortelescoped buckets within the tank which are adapted to be successivelyand individually withdrawn filled with liquid, a hinged cover for thetank placed under the stress of a weight or the like, and a confininglatch comprising a pivoted handle and curved tongue and operating bothto compress the cover down on the tank, and to free the cover and permitthe weight to vibrate it by a single movement of the handle of thelatch, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 16th day of December, 1892.

ARTHUR G. LEONARD.

Witnesses: v

HUGH F. HENRY, J r., HENRY B. WHIPPLE.

